 | The Royall Slave |  |
Act. 4.
Sce. 1.
Atossa, Mandane, Ariene, other Ladyes, and Women of divers sorts.Atos.
That we have naturally a desire
To preserve Honour is a Principle
Not questionable, but by those that would
Corrupt, and rob us of it: that you prize
Your Chastity more than wealth, and thinke your Cabinets
Cheape and unworthy, if compar'd t'your mindes,
I'm so assur'd, that I need only tell you
The danger, not intreat you to avoyd it.
The Slaves next night intend a Rape upon
Your Honour, and your Wealth; to tell your Husbands
Were to procure a slaughter on both sides.
If we avert the ryot, and become
Our owne defence, the Honour, as the Action,
Will be entirely ours: which may be done
Only by flying to Arsamnes Castle.
A thing so easy, that 'twill only be
To take the Ayre for fame: and when we doe
Returne, our Husbands shall strew prayses in
Our wayes, which we will tread on, and contemne.
Omnes.
Let's fly, let's fly, let's fly.
Atos.
How I doe love
These worthy, noble thoughts! the Action
Will make our Tombes not need an Epitaph,
When we shall live still fresh in History.
The sacred Gods of Marriage will present
Themselves unto you night by night for this,
And personally thanke you in your Dreames,
For thus preserving their Rites undefil'd.
Provision for our flight. If any doe
Desire a further satisfaction
In this our grand designe, we leave our Ladyes
Mandane here, and Ariene, who
Can give a full relation of our businesse.
Omn.
Away, away, to the Castle, to the Castle.
[Exeunt.
Sce. 2.
Cratander, Hippias, Phocion.Crat.
Vrge me no more, I am sure my Countrey
Requires not Perjury.
Pho.
Ought any word
Be kept with Enemies? no path is foule
That leades to liberty.
Crat.
O Phocion!
Such men as you have made our Grecian faith
Become a Proverbe t'expresse Treachery.
An Oath's the same in Persia, and in Greece:
And bindes alike in either.
Hip.
But consider
Wee're thrall'd and yoak'd; the hard gaines of our sweat
Must be sent in to serve their Luxury.
Tribute, and taxe, and payment, will still keepe us
As in a siege: to take the Aire perhaps
Will be a charge unto us.
Pho.
Nor is't Ephesus
That only dreades this slavery; Claros too,
And Colophon, nay Magnesia, and others
That joyn'd i'th' warre do feare a share i'th' Tyranny.
Crat.
Your forces are so weakned, that you cannot
Regaine a perfect Liberty: your Friends
Begin to fall off too: all that you can
Expect now, is to settle these your evills,
And live protected as a weakned friend
Your Lawes and Liberties inviolate.
A thing perhaps yet rather to be wish'd for,
Then compass'd.
Hip.
Yet methinkes you might procure it,
Having such command.
Crat.
What may be done in so
Short space, shall all be to your good: goe then
And deale discreetly with the Army: tell them
The tempest that is falling on their head,
Unlesse the Persian shield them. When you have
Perswaded them to this, conduct your Forces
Towards Arsamnes Castle, where the Queene,
And Ladyes now expect me. But be sure
You come not within sight of Sardis.
Pho.
Why?
Shall we not march beyond the Fronteirs then?
Crat.
By no meanes, for you'le cut off all retreat.
Now, when you see the numerous Persian come,
You may securely fly without the losse
Of any; this will quell the future rising
Of those, whose frowardnesse is not content
Either with th'Calme or Tempest of Affaires.
We must comply with Fortune, now wee're conquer'd.
Permit the rest unto the Gods and me.
Pho., Hip.
Successe attend it.
[Ex. Hip. Pho.
Crat.
So; my next care now
Must be t'avoide those Slaves, who, I o'reheard,
Have a designe upon my life. But let
Even the plotting Destinies contrive,
And be themselves of Councell, all their malice
Shall only shew an idle fruitlesse Hate,
Whiles Wisedome takes the upper hand of Fate.
[Exit Cratander.
Sce. 3.
4t h Appearance, a Wood.Leocrates, Archippus, after a while Philotas, and Stratocles, all foure disguis'd in beggars habits; one having a leg, another an arme ty'd up: all some counterfeiting trick of such maunding people. Leocrates and Archippus peepe out of the woods side at severall places.
Leoc.
Holla!
Arch.
Holla!
Leoc.
Archippus?
Arch.
Leocrates? Ne're be afraid man, 'tis I, the very same.
Leoc.
Fore Mercury I did not know thee: thy comming
forth out of the wood with that raw arme, and those totter'd
cloaths, makes thee shew like Action, newly reviv'd
after his worrying.
Arch.
Where's Stratocles, and Philotas?
Leoc.
They're looking Bur-leaves perhaps for Excoriation;
or else, obbing some Gibbet to accommodate themselves
with decent weeds.
Phil.
Holla!
Stra.
Holla!
Arch.
Hearke: I heare 'em; they are hard by; let's answer
'em. Holla!
Stra.
O are you there?
Leoc.
Save thee Brother Stratocles: Joy to thee Valiant
Philotas; I commend you that you keepe your wordes: I'm
glad we are so punctuall.
Stra.
D'ye thinke we have no Religion in us? 'tis a most
corrupt time, when such as we cannot keepe touch, and be
faithfull one to another.
Leoc.
But are you sure Cratander will passe by this way?
Arch.
My Lord Praxaspes sayes he loves this walke.
But wee've done ill to leave our weapons yonder.
Leoc.
Pish! he won't passe by this houre, hee's busie yet:
Wee'le fetch 'em as soone as wee can agree who shall doe
the deed.
Phil.
Who shall doe the deed sayst thou? why thou, or
he, or he, or I.
Leoc.
Do thou then if thou hast a minde to't.
Phil.
No faith, thou shalt have the whole honour of it to
thy selfe; I will not rob thee of an inch of it: I am not envious,
Leocrates, not envious.
Leoc.
Well; the next Passenger is to decide it then; hee
that shall be judg'd the fittest to make a Persian Priest, must
do the deed.
Str.
What else? dost thou thinke we will be so base, as
not to stand to Covenants?
Phil.
You have all made your selves very unfit to bee
Preists methinkes.
Str.
Why so Philotas? do you not see woodden legs, and
Crutches, wry Neckes, and lame Armes, maym'd limbes; and
blind sides?
Phil.
Good faith, we may be all taken for an Hospitall
broke loose.
Arch.
And we have wood enough among us to—
Cratan. is discover'd walking toward them.
As I hope for Mercy Cratander.—by the ball of
Fortune here hee comes: Soule of my life what
shall we doe?
Str.
Not a sword, not a knife among us! all left behind us
in the wood! that we should be all manicled now, out of a
most unluckly Policy! We shall never have him alone againe:
make toward him and be hang'd, that hee may resolve the
Question howe're.
Sce. 4.
To them Cratander.Leoc.
Blesse thy senses and thy limbes, faire Master: doe a
courtesie to a company of poore distressed Persians;
Judgement, man of Understanding.
Crat.
What's your request?
Leoc.
That out of thy great Wisdome, soule of Learning,
Thou'd'st be pleas'd to tell us freely, which of us foure is fittest
to make a Persian Priest.
Crat.
I am not well skill'd in your Persian Rites,
As Cra. views thē narrowly, they fall to their Postures.
I know not what Man, or how qualify'd
Your Temple may admit of, but I have
Two or three Servants within call here, they
Shall umpire this your variance. Ho! Sisarmes,
Ho! Artobazes, draw nigh quickly; seize
[Ent. Servants.
These foure pernitious Raskalls: did you thinke
You could ly hid? 'tis not your leg good Stratocles,
Nor your close arme Leocrates, that can
Disguise you from mine eye. I can tell you
Who dranke my death, who were your grand Abettors,
In this designe. You now would know who's fittest
To make a Persian Priest: Malitious fooles,
Is it not all one as to aske me, who
Is fitt'st to Sacrifice me? But you see
I live, and will doe, to your Punishment.
Goe, away with 'em; take them as they are.
Let 'em not alter either Cloaths, or Posture,
But lead 'em through the City thus to Molops;
And give him charge to keepe 'em so, untill
He heare our farther Pleasure.
[Ex. Crat.
Serv.
Come along, Gentlemen, wee'le try your stumps,
How many miles a day you can halt.
Str.
Sirrah, be civill, or else before Jove I'le pull off my
wooden leg, and break your Pate with it, though I dy for it.
[Ex. Serv. and Slaves.
Sce. 5.
Hydarnes, Orontes, Praxaspes, Masistes.Hyd.
Wee're like to have an honest Court of't shortly.
Prax.
You speak my Lord, as if 'twere not so now.
Hyd.
'Tis honest now, and shortly will not have
The Pow'r to be otherwise.
Mas.
Why Hydarnes?
Hyd.
There's not a woman left man; all are vanish'd.
And fled upon the sudden.
Hyd.
What? I hope
They have not chang'd their Sexe all in a minute?
They are not leap'd into rough chinnes, and Tulipants?
Hyd.
There's scarce a face without a beard appeares.
Mas.
A signe there are few Eunuches in the Palace.
Hyd.
My Lords,
This is not to discover what's become of 'em.
They've taken weapons with 'em too they say.
Prax.
They have no Sacrifice to performe, that I
Can tell of, neither if they had, would they
Take armes, that were t'invade the Deity.
The Sword's no Instrument of their Devotion.
To them a Messenger.
Mess.
My Lords, you must make haste with all your force:
To th'Queene and Ladyes in Arsamnes Castle:
They now are likely all to be surpriz'd,
By the remainder of the Greekes.
Prax.
Cratander,
That damned Villaine hath entic'd 'em thither,
Meerely t'entrap 'em. Let us to the King;
Wee'le on although against revolted Slaves.
We fought with Men before, but now with Vice;
He calls for death that must be conquer'd twice.
[Exeunt.
| The Royall Slave | |